Continuous grating structure for flooring and like purposes



w. E. IRVING 1,733,966

CONTINUOUS GRATING STRUCTURE FOR FLOORING AND LIKE PURPOSES Oct. 29,1929.

Filed May 51, 1928 II I. W-

ATTORNEY Patented 0a. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER EDWARDIRVING, OF GLENIBROOK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO IRVING IRON WORKSCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CONTINUOUS GRATING STRUCTURE FORFLOORING AND LIKE PURPOSES Application filed May 31, 1928. Serial No.281,696.

This invention relates to continuous ventilated floorings or continuousreenforcements for concrete floorings and similar structures of theso-called egg crate type. Said egg crate grating has heretofore beenmade in separate panels laid side by side or end to end, or both, andsupported on cross beams or other parallel supports, the ends of thepanel's resting on said supports and each panel usually extending acrossthe distance or span between two adjacent supports.

The object of the present invention is to provide a continuous structureof the egg crate type in which abutting panels can be securely fastenedtogether end to end with a joint of substantially the same strength asthat of the body of each panel, thereby forming a continuous structurewhich will extend over a series of transverse beams or supports havingsubstantially uniform strength to resist the bending stresses oftravelling loads whether said connecting joints happen to be locatedover said supports or at points intermediate between the same. To thisend each unit panel of grating, which is made as here-- tofore of aseries of parallel longitudinal bars notched in their upper edges and aseries of cross strips notched in their under edges to interlock withthe notches in the longitudinal bars, is provided, according to myinvention, with extensions of the longitudinal bars at one end of eachpanel which are similarly notched in their upper edges to interlock withcertain of the cross strips in the adjacent end of the next panel whenany two panels are assembled to form a continuous grating, and are alsoprovided with additional fastening means for securing together theoverlapping portions of said longitudinal bars to complete a rigidjoint.

The best form" of apparatus at present known to me embodying myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in whichFig. 1 is a plan view of one standard panel, parts being broken away inthe middle;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a special panel for the end of the series ofpanels when joined together;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a continuous grating produced byjoining and fastening together the adjacent ends of two panels such asshown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

1, 1, represent the main portions of the longitudinal or bearing bars ofeach gratmg unit or panel; 2, 2, represent certain of the cross stripsconnecting said main portions; 1, 1 represent extensions of thelongitudinal bars at one end of each standard panel preferably offsetlaterally at 1 a distance equal to the thickness of each said bar. 3, 3,represent a series of equally spaced apart notches of uniform dimensionsin the upper edges of each of the longitudinal bars and extensionsthereof, and 2 represent notches in the under edges of the cross strips2 of uniform dimensions and equally spaced apart to interlock with thenotches 3, 3, in the longitudinal bars to form the well known egg cratetype of grating.

Preferably the cross strips 2, 2, are of less depth than thelongitudinal bars, as shown.

4, 4, represent similar cross strips except that the notches 4 4*, intheir under edges are of double the width of the notches 2*, 2, in thecross strips 2.

A certain number of these cross strip 4 are located at the end of eachpanel of grating opposite to that provided with the longitudinal barextensions 1, 1".

In assembling the series of grating panels, so constructed to form acontinuous grating, the offset extensions 1? of the longitudinal bars atthe end of one panel are caused to overlap the adjacent ends of thelongitudinal bars of the next panel, as shown in Fig. 4, the widernotches 4 4 in the under edges of the cross strips 4 then embracing andinterlocking with the adjacent overlapping 100 ortions of both sets oflongitudinal bars to orm a continuous structure. Y

To provide additional fastening means and a more rigid joint, theoverlapping portions of the longitudinal bars may be provided withregistering bolt holes 5, 5, in one end of bars 1, 1, and 5", 5?, in theother, ofiset end'portions 1", 1', through which registering holes orperforation bolts 6, 6, may be inserted and fastened with nuts in theusual way, thus forming a-rigid continuous structure, as shown in Fig.4. Y e

Other well known fastening means could. be substituted for bolts 6, 6.

As theleft hand end of a stripof continuous grating formed by joiningtogether a series of .unitssuch as shown in Fig; 1, by the jointsillustrated in Fig. 4 would ave a set of free projecting, offset ends1", of longitudinal bars 1, 1,1 provide, for each such series, a singleunit such as shown in Fig. 2,-

which has no offset projecting ends of its longitudinal bars and whichwould form the last unit at one end of each series of abutting connectedends. Similarly the unit at the right hand end of each series would haveonly cross strips 2 with notches 2 of single width therein.

Among the advantages of my invention may be mentioned the great strengthof the continuous structure formed by it; the avoidance of the openspaces which now exist between the adjacent ends of separate panels ofgrating assembled to form a flooring in the usual way, whereby thewheels of passing 1 vehicles find in my invention a continuous,

even, smooth .surface over which to roll; the possibility of makingstandard units of grating panels in the shop which may be assembled onthe job and form a continuous flooring that can be supported by crossbeams spaced any distance apart within the limits fixed by the abilityof the grating used to support traveling loads of a given maximumbetween supports'spaced apart that distance;

and the avoidance of ,all additional fastening means separate from thepanels themselves except the standard bolts and nuts to be used in themanner above described.

Another advantage of my invention arises from the resistance tolongitudinal stresses either of extension or compression applied to thejoint between the panels aiforded by the interlocking cross pieces 4.-engaging notches in the longitudinal bars of both panels. This featureis particularly important when these grating reenforcements are used intwo layers to form the reenforcement for deep concrete slabs as shown inmy Patent. No. 1,526,069, dated February 10, 1925. It is obvious thatthe described interlocking means also does not interfere with the uppersurfaces of all the connected panels being-in exactly the same plane sothat a perfectly smooth plane surface results for the entire com- 01'conuced by posite structure of continuous gratin tinuous reenforcedconcrete slab pro the use of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A continuous grating for ventilated flooring and the like purposeswhich comprises, in combination, a plurality of anels each composed of aseriesof longitudinal,

parallel bars having uniformly spaced apart notches in their u per edgesand a series of cross strips notclied in their lower edges to interlockwith the notched portions of said longitudinal bars, all of saidlongitudinal bars at one end of each panel having projecting portionseach also provided with a plurality of notches, corresponding indimensions and spacings to those in the main por 1 in which saidprojecting portions are offset.

laterally by a reversed curve section from the main portions of thelongitudinal bars a distance substantially equal to the thickness ofsaid bars; whereby, when two panels are assembled to form a continuous.grating the main portions of the longitudinal barsabuttin'g one withanother will all lie in the same straight line.

3. A continuous grating for ventilated flooring and the like purposeswhich comprises, in combination, a plurality of panels each composed ofa series of longitudinal, parallel bars having uniformly spaced-apartnotches in their upper edges and a series of cross strips notched intheir lower edges to interlock with the notched portions of saidlongitudinal bars, all of said longitudinal bars at one endvof eachpanel having projecting portions each also provided with a plurality ofnotches corresponding in dimensions and spacing to those in the mainportion of said bars, whereby said projecting por tions on each panelmay engage certain of the cross strips in the adjacent ends of the nextpanel when the panels-are assembled to form a continuous grating, thenotched portions of such cross strips being of such width as to engagesaid projecting portions of the adjacent panel as well as thelongitudinal bars of the first panel which overlap the same.

WALTER- EDWARD IRVING.

